The 1928 Commodore Perry mansion has been restored to its former glory and turned into an upscale resort unlike anything in the city. Join us on a virtual tour.
The Commodore Perry mansion, built in 1928 near Austin’s Hyde Park neighborhood, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For its new chapter as a luxurious place to stay—Auberge Resorts Collection’s first urban retreat—the dreamy grounds have been updated with fresh landscaping, a new pool, and the addition of a three-story Inn.Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
The Commodore Perry mansion, built in 1928 near Austin’s Hyde Park neighborhood, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For its new chapter as a luxurious place to stay—Auberge Resorts Collection’s first urban retreat—the dreamy grounds have been updated with fresh landscaping, a new pool, and the addition of a three-story Inn.Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
Surrounded by a stone wall, the historic Commodore Perry mansion and gardens, along Waller Creek and across from the 121-year-old Hancock Golf Course, have the ambience of a countryside retreat, but the property is right there on busy Red River and Forty-first streets—if you live in Austin, you’ve probably driven past it many times.
The 10,800-square-foot Italianate manor, built in 1928, originally served as the country home for “Commodore” Edgar and Lutie Perry, who loved to entertain in true Roaring Twenties style. Though his nickname suggests otherwise, Edgar wasn’t a naval officer. Instead, he was a businessman and real estate developer. (His friends dubbed him the “commodore” when a flood carried his boat away on Lake Austin.) The Perrys later sold the estate, which, starting with St. Mary’s Academy, in 1947, became home to a succession of schools. Today, the urban oasis begins a new chapter asan upscale boutique hotel operated by California-based hospitality group Auberge Resorts Collection, known for high-end properties in locales such as Napa Valley, the Greek islands, and Fiji.
The original mansion has been brought back to life, and once again sets the scene for a roaring good time thanks to interior designer Ken Fulk, who also outfitted the property’s new Inn, a three-story courtyard-style building with 42 guest rooms and 7 terrace suites. Join us below on an exclusive, virtual tour of the resort’s idyllic grounds (BYO champagne coupe optional).
In the Inn, softly curved ceilings, rough-hewn walls, and antique light fixtures give the 42 new rooms the same European-villa vibes as the main house. In true Austin fashion, some suites are accessible outdoors, via their own outdoor terraces.
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
Each room is furnished with a classic, 1920s-style bar cart—featuring libations handpicked to please each guest’s unique tastes—and a heavy dose of Old World charm. Notice the imperfections on the wall beyond: layered with plaster and pleasingly uneven, they echo the time-tested character of the original Italian Renaissance Revival mansion.
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
Inspired by the property’s rich history and Texas roots, interior designer Ken Fulk commissioned bespoke goods and textiles to adorn the mansion and the Inn. And several motifs make repeat appearances. The figure of a fox, for example, features prominently in at least two places: on custom Pierre Frey wallpaper in one of the suites and on these Bauscher-made teacups. A nod to the sly creature that can be seen roaming the property, its likeness was designed by Fulk’s creative team.
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
If you’ve been to Round Top Antiques Fair over the past couple years, you may have passed Fulk shopping for the Commodore Perry Estate. He furnished the common areas with uniquely Texan and vintage artifacts like this gramophone, which sets the scene for guests and members to relax with timeless tunes (while sipping vintage tipples).
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
Lone Star State charm is evident throughout. In addition to honoring the original owners’ heritage, Fulk nodded to the Texas roots of key Commodore Perry Estate stakeholders. Auberge Resorts Collection is owned by Houston-based Dan Friedkin and operated by a Dallas-based CEO and president, Craig Reid; and the project was envisioned by the Austin developer Clark Lyda. (Lyda also had a hand in restoring the Stagecoach Inn in Salado.)
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
The renovated mansion will serve as the entertainment hub of the resort, with dining and lounging options on the ground floor that will be open only to guests and members of the estate’s private club. (Shown here is the Loomis, a refreshing vodka cocktail flavored with ginger and lime, and topped with prosecco.)
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
In the Solarium, these original terra-cotta tiles inspired a color scheme for the renovation: green, black, and yellow curry. Drawn particularly to the striking shade of yellow, Fulk named it “Perry Gold” (for the estate’s original owners) and used it throughout the interiors.
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
“Perry Gold” was woven (by hand) into new rugs for the powder room. It was used, too, in the creation of new tiles, also shown here, that echo the mansion’s original terra-cotta designs.
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
The hotel’s signature linen robes were made by Luna Zorro, the Guatemalan collective of weavers that created the hotel's handmade rugs.
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
Here, “Perry Gold” again—on the walls of the mansion’s entryway. If you walk into the space too quickly, you might miss the intimate, rotunda-like library, tucked away to your left.
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
It would be easy to believe the book-lined shelves have been there all this time, but they were curated by Fulk to include a mix of Texan- and European-inspired titles that might have delighted the estate’s original owners, who were avid travelers.
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
Down a short gravel path from the rooms, the sunny new pool area has socially distanced lounge chairs for guests and members. (Joining the resort’s private club also means giving back to the Austin community: the Commodore supports Urban Roots, a local organization that teaches youths to farm the land.)
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
Later this year, Lutie’s—a restaurant helmed by chef couple Bradley Nicholson and Susana Querejazu, veterans of Austin’s Barley Swine and Odd Duck—will offer seasonal lunch, dinner, and brunch menus featuring American fare with a Texas twist, as well as a beverage program heavy on local options.
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
Just behind the lounge chairs are rows and rows of fragrant antique roses, a nod to the property’s original English-style garden and another signature motif. At turndown service, rose petal water is delivered to the rooms.
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
Located on Red River Street, just across the street from a Coffee Bean and a Foot Locker, the Commodore Perry Estate’s unassuming entrance belies its grandeur—and size.
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
With a hard-to-imagine ten acres, the property is both quaint (like a Hill Country escape) and sprawling.
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
In the mansion, Fulk gave each of the five guest rooms its own personality with custom and archival Pierre Frey textiles. Fulk designed this all-pink suite, with a flowering branch pattern on the ceiling and walls, in honor of one of the mansion’s previous owners, a woman called LaVerne who preserved the estate in the forties.
Photograph by Moyo Oyelola
Walking into the Inn, a larger-than-life hand-painted mural depicts a pastoral, bluebonnet-speckled scene that re-creates the experience of looking out on the Hill Country in springtime. In the mansion, though, this mural atop the original spiral staircase is decidedly more ethereal.
